What age do you start dewormer?

[TXMissy]

Hi!
At watch age do you start deworming? Huckleberry is only 4 weeks but I want to make sure I start him on time.

Thanks?

 

[Dandy Hill Farm]

Unless you are using an herbal dewormer, goats should ONLY be dewormed when needed. Otherwise, the worms will build a resistance to the dewormer causing it to no longer be effective. It is proven that worms can NOT build a resistance to herbs though.

You can tell if goat has worms by their famacha score or getting a fecal done. Other signs that a goat might have worms include, weight loss, diarrhea, and lethargy.

I have a yearling doe that was born on my farm in October of 2020. I have NEVER had to deworm her as she has never had a worm overload before. Some goats are just very resistance to parasites like my girl, Lucy. It just depends on the individual goat and how their are kept.

 

[Alaskan]

X2...


Also, after a bit of time you will know which of your animals tends to get wormy... and which ones are resistant to worms.

You should figure out what worms are on your place.

Different worms need different meds.

Learn about your local worms and how to manage them etc.

If you aren't sure about what you have, maybe you can take a fecal sample to a local vet.

The Famacha score is the way to go for most worms.

One exception I can think of is lung worm... for that patasite you know they have it from their cough...

Usually though... they don't need worming that young.

 

[TXMissy]

Oh wow. Who knew it was so complicated? I thought deworming is just something that was always done to keep them from getting worms. I have no idea what a famacha score is so I will look into that. I have no indications that any of my goats have worms. They are all healthy. I only have 3. I really thought it was done as a preventative, like giving meds to your do to keep them from getting heartworms. Thanks for the info!

 

[Dandy Hill Farm]

Since you have a small herd, it would be very easy for you to use an herbal dewormer as a preventive and to give you a peace of mind knowing that your goats will most likely not have any worm issues. I have fantastic results with using an herbal dewormer. I just mix the herbs with a little flour, water, and sometimes peanut butter or molasses to make "treat balls" and dose accordingly. My goats love the their "treats"!

Here's a really great brand: https://landofhavilahfarm.com/loh/product/parasite-formula/

This one is good too: https://fiascofarm.com/herbs/mollysherbals.php

When my herd was smaller and my goats were just pets, I used Molly's herbs as a preventive which worked very well. My herd has since grown and now I breed and milk them (one of the Molly's herbal blend is not recommended for pregnant does). So, I stopped giving the it as directed and now only give it when the have worms. I also have Ivermectin (horse paste) on hand if the situation is more "intense". So far, this has been working well for my herd as I make sure to check their famacha score often to catch worm loads early on. Just know, this method may not work for you and your herd.


After kidding, most does will need dewormed as all the stress can cause a worm bloom. I would make sure to check your doe's famacha score soon.

Hope you can find a good deoworming solution for your herd!

 

[TXMissy]

Since you have a small herd, it would be very easy for you to use an herbal dewormer as a preventive and to give you a peace of mind knowing that your goats will most likely not have any worm issues. I have fantastic results with using an herbal dewormer. I just mix the herbs with a little flour, water, and sometimes peanut butter or molasses to make "treat balls" and dose accordingly. My goats love the their "treats"!

Here's a really great brand: https://landofhavilahfarm.com/loh/product/parasite-formula/

This one is good too: https://fiascofarm.com/herbs/mollysherbals.php

When my herd was smaller and my goats were just pets, I used Molly's herbs as a preventive which worked very well. My herd has since grown and now I breed and milk them (one of the Molly's herbal blend is not recommended for pregnant does). So, I stopped giving the it as directed and now only give it when the have worms. I also have Ivermectin (horse paste) on hand if the situation is more "intense". So far, this has been working well for my herd as I make sure to check their famacha score often to catch worm loads early on. Just know, this method may not work for you and your herd.


After kidding, most does will need dewormed as all the stress can cause a worm bloom. I would make sure to check your doe's famacha score soon.

Hope you can find a good deoworming solution for your herd!

Thanks you! I didn't realize you only do it if they have worms. I thought it was a preventative. So, I will try to check them tomorrow.

 

[Alaskan]

Your famacha score card.

They say to check eyelid color... but I always found checking gum color way easier....

The gun pictures are a dosing wormer gun...

 

[TXMissy]

View attachment 88807

Your famacha score card.

They say to check eyelid color... but I always found checking gum color way easier....

The gun pictures are a dosing wormer gun...

Oh really???! Checking the gums would be much easier than the eyelids. Is the color chart the same for the gums?

 

[Dandy Hill Farm]

Hmmm, I've heard that checking their gum color isn't really reliable.

 

[Alaskan]

I found the color comparable... between the gums and eyelids... but you could always check on your individual goats... and see how accurate it is for your herd.

Of course if you have some kind of goat with darkly pigmented gums... it sure would be harder...